of calais



P. VAN DEUREN, A. DELAS AND M. L EBLANC. MORTAR 0H CANNON AND PROJECTILE ADAPTED FOR USE THEREWlTH. APPLICATION FILED AUG.23. 1912.

1 ,307, 384. Patnted June 24,1919.

' To all whom may concern) PIERRE VAN nnonEN, or canals, AN'D ALBERT DELAS AN]: MA RICE or rams, FRANCE, AssiGNoBs 'ro sooIn'rE ANONYME.POUR L'nxrLoI'ra'rIoN DES Be' it known thatwe, PIERRE VAN DEU-' BEN, ALBERT DELAS, and MApmcn LEBLANQ, the first a subject of the Kingdom of Belgium, residing in Calais, France, the others citizens of the Republic of France, reslding in Paris, France, have niadea new and use-' ful Invention in Mortars or Cannon; and- ProjectilesAdapted; for UseTherewith,

4 an angle of approximately 45=to the "zon. The pro ectile consists of a head or body containing the explosive charge and has which'the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to mortars or cannon and projectiles adapted for use therewith and has particular reference to -means for setting the range.-

the

In a general way thecan'non consists of a smooth'bore barrel mounte a hollow'tubular tail secured thereto "and? which contains the propell ng charge. Ra

diall extending rings for guiding the-pro- 'of being fired in. all directions around the;

jecti e in flight are secured to the body.

An object of this invention is to provide a combined cannon and pro ectile capable I horizon with a constant elevation angleof approximately and in which the varia-- tion in range is primarily obtained by regulating the volumetric capacity offtheexplosion chamber formed by the cannon bore and the hollow tail of the pro ectlle. I

A further object is to provide a method: whereby, with a given angle of elevation and a given explosive. propelling charge, different. ranges may be set by varying the length and therefore the'volu'metric capacity of the explosion chamber containing said charge. K 4o -These, as well as other objects, we attain in the devicedescribed in the specification and -;illustrated in the single sheet of draw ings accompanying and forming a part of this application.

In the drawings Figure 1 'is a viewin sectional elevatlon of a cannon or mortar and a projectile embodying this invention and Fig. 2 is a view in crOSs section, taken consists of a barrel 1 secured in a socket member 2 by means of a set screw 3. Socket I Application filed August 28,

horimoonnns WESTINGHOUSE-LEBLANC, or rams, FRANCE. p

momma on CANNON AND rnomc'rmn ADAPrnnron use l 1: Specification 0'': Letters Ii'atent. PatntdJune 24, 1919.

1917. .Seria11io.187, 861. i

member 2 is mounted upon a base 4;,and is provided. with a central circular chamber 5 within which a circular. boss 6 formed on the base cooperates toform' a vertical axis about which the cannon may be turned 360.

Base 4 is mounted on asuitable platform 7 and the barrel has a smooth bore 8 and is fixed at a constant elevation angle of approximately 45. The elevation angle of 45 has the advantage of giving the maxi mum range and this isgnot appreciably affected by a variation in the angle of 5 above or below. It has been found that the platform may incline 5 either above or' below the normal position of 45 angle with .out influencing the maxi-mum range and this ls-especially Important not only in trench warfare where the ground is often had and the platform liable to move but is important in firing-at sea as it, has been found that the rolling or pitching of the shi "has no influence upon the range when '1 tion angle is normally 45.-

e eleva- The projectile which forms part of this. i

invention consists of a body'or head portion "9 containing the explosive chargeand to the body a tubular tail portion 10 is se-- cured; the body is-also provided With.ra-

dially extending vanes or wings of any de sired number above three.

. Since the/elevation angle of the cannon is j constant and the powder forthe propelling charge preferably constant the setting of i the range is obtained by, varying the distance or depth to which the tubulartail 10 enters the bore of the cannon. For the purpose'of'adjusting this depth a'screw thread 11 iscut in the outersurface' of the cannon and an'internally threaded ring 12 movable on said threads serves as an abutment or stop against-which the lower end of wings or vanes rest when the projectile is in properly adjusted position; By varying the distance between the bottom of the cannon bore and the u per inner end 13 of the hollow tail the vo umetric capacity of the explosion.

chamber for the propelling charge is varied,

. When the tubular tail projects the maximum distance into the cannon bore thepressure exerted by the propelling charge of owder.

is high and. the run of the tail in t e. bore long, thus giving the longest or maximum range to the pro]ectil e. On the other handdesired range may be quickly 'and accuratel y 10 barrel in accordance with the range scale set by adjusting the ring lengthwise of the marked thereon for facilitating ment. v The guide vanes which may be of any de- 1 the adjustsired number above three serve to guide the projectile in the air and to maintain it upon its trajectory. The tubular tail open at its lower end allows the cannon, the bore of which is of given length and diameter, to have an explosion chamber of maximum volumetric capacity andthe use of the hollow tail provides an increase in the chamber equal to the space between the upper end of the tail and the outer end thereof thus accommodating a larger quantity of powder while maintaining'the same maximum pressure. The hollow tail has the further advantage that the pressure 'is exerted close to the center of gravity of the projectile instead of against the outer end as would be the case if the tail were solid. This exertion of the pressure close to the center of gravity of the projectile gives better stability to the projectile in .the air. The hollow tail also gives us an explosion chamber for the propulsive charge v part of which is located outside of the cann'on bore thus allowing the wires for igniting the propulsiv charge to enter the explosion chamber at a point outside of the cannon bore through the small hole 14. For this reason the cannon simply consists of a tube having been thus indicated and its preferred embodiment having been specifically de: scribed, what is claimed as new is:

L 1. The combination with a cannon or mortar having a smooth'bore, of a projectile having a head or body portion, a hollow .ftubular tail open at its outerend, guide vanes secured "to the projectile and means on said cannon oooperatlng with said vanes for limiting the distance to which said tail extends into the bore of the cannon.

2. The combination with a cannon, a'r-.

ranged to discharge a projectile at a substantially constant angle, of a projectile consisting of a body portion, a hollow tubular tail secured to the body portion, and fitting within the bore of the cannonyradial guide vanes secured to the projectile, and means on said cannon formlng an abutment for said vanes for determining the volumetric capacity of the chamber for the propelling charge.

3. The combination with a cannon, of a projectile having a hollow tail fitting the cannon bore and, with said bore, forming the explosion chamber for the propelling charge, a body for said projectile secured to said tail and which is adapted to contain an explosive charge, wings for said projectile, and means cooperating with said wings for determining the distance to which said tail projects into the cannon bore.

- PIERRE VAN DEUREN;

ALBERT DELAS. MAURICE LEBLANC. 

